Jeff Koons: Potential | Art21 “Exclusive”
Episode #109: Jeff Koons tells a story from his childhood about finding a sense of self through making art, asserting that art has the potential to inspire similar transformations within each viewer. Jeff Koons plucks images and objects from popular culture, framing questions about taste and pleasure. His contextual sleight-of-hand, which transforms banal items into sumptuous icons, takes on a psychological dimension through dramatic shifts in scale, spectacularly engineered surfaces, and subliminal allegories of animals, humans, and anthropomorphized objects. The subject of art history is a constant undercurrent, whether Koons elevates kitsch to the level of Classical art, produces photos in the manner of Baroque paintings, or develops public works that borrow techniques and elements of seventeenth-century French garden design. Organizing his own studio production in a manner that rivals a Renaissance workshop, Koons makes computer-assisted, handcrafted works that communicate through their meticulous attention to detail. Learn more about Jeff Koons: www.art21.org VIDEO | Producer: Wesley Miller & Nick Ravich. Interview: Susan Sollins. Camera: Kurt Branstetter & Joel Shapiro. Sound: Mark Mandler. Editor: Paulo Padilha & Mark Sutton. Artwork Courtesy: Jeff Koons. Special Thanks: Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago.
Video Rating: 4 / 5
Love his stuff
@lessonsoftoday He’s an relic of 80s yuppy alienation, in my view. He doesn’t need to touch his own work because he’s detached from it anyway, as he seems to be from everything else around him. Maybe he has some kind of personality defect that makes him shallow, and through his art he’s trying to elevate that to some kind of ironic post-modern attitude or intellectual pose?
@TheOnlyOwnage91 “if an architect designs a building do you expect him to build it? ”
If an architect finds a shack, and then has a group of contractors copy the shack exactly, but instead making the new shack out of a different material – is the architect and architect?
That’s 90% of ‘his’ work. Where’s the work? “Hey you – take this inflatable bunny, and copy it EXACTLY in aluminum. I’m going to convince some tasteless rich moron that it’s art. See ya later!”
Nope…this guy is lame.
@lessonsoftoday if an architect designs a building do you expect him to build it? no. And it gives him a sense of self because he’s good at it. I do agree though I dont think he is living to his full potential because he could create other forms of art such as paintings and photography etc…
ENG – Fine sculptures, beautiful video, congratulations!
ITA – Belle le Sculture e il video, complimenti!
Luca – from Italy
FUCK JEFF KOONS GONNA KICK YO ASS
Balloon Flower (Magenta) sold for $25.7 million.
Yet Koons claims “The objects are absolutely valueless”
Now that’s clever marketing!
the emperor’s shiny new collectibles
Really got a lo from this. Thanks.
lol sum1 else makes his art for him and he gets paid for it
this guy is a genius
Everything about him is “pop” culture. Sparkly, polished, money grubing. Letting others do your shit work then putting it on display like it means something. He needs to be raped in prison for a year to kill all his “look at my glittery new butt-rock spandex demons”, demons. Jesus, hope I didn’t just give him new ideas. Don’t read this Jeff, you asshole, go stick giant ears on a bunny or something.
@lessonsoftoday i am sure he does leave the work to his assistants. the best school really means nothing when it comes to art. also a lot of artist’s speak bullshit for publicity.
This workshop ought to be shut down!!!
There is no-one on this Earth I loathe more intensely than Jeff Koons.
Here’s to hoping he dies a long, drawn-out death from stomach cancer.
i love all his lil workers making his art
astartarte siempre ve este tipo de videos, sirven para actualizar nuestra mirada al arte de reciente de data. Daniel Alejandro Mendez Escalona les manda saludos desde Mérida, Venezuela
BRAVO Mr. KOONS! Thank you for achieving what I desire! P.S….I’m on my way! -AK
A W E S O M E LOVE IT
I tried, but I really just don’t understand this man. How can his art give him a “sense of self” and how is he living to his “full potential” if, even though he was educated at one of the best art schools in the nation (MICA), he barely touches his own artwork? I mean, he has to have the talent, right? So why does he just leave most of the nitty gritty of his art to his assistants? It seems so disingenuous to me. I respect him for his success and his business savvy, but I could never be like him
very nice way to explain art.
first???